Now a regular fixture on the calendar, Stoptober sets you the challenge of staying smokefree for 28 days. This is important because if you make it through to the end of the month you are five times more likely to give up for good.

One thing that it seems is impossible to avoid on the streets of London, is the smokers. They really are everywhere and having a break away really brought this home for me. After returning to London it didn't take long to feel that all too familiar wave of disgust as the toxic, pernicious carbon monoxide invaded my space again.

An American firm has come up with a wristband that jolts people into giving up bad habits. You just pick the behaviour you wish to prevent and choose the punishment - the wristband does the rest. Buzzes in your ear, demands a financial forfeit or even gives you a mild electric shock.

Smoking is known to cause a lot of physical transformations and is known to ruin the outside appearance of the person. If you want to know about some of the ways smoking can ruin your looks then you might want to check this out.

This is good news for the tobacco companies who are looking to sustain their business model and have cleverly introduced vaping as the acceptable face of nicotine addiction. If it doesn't do any harm then what's the problem?

Advertising addictive chemicals is an oddity. There are few products out there that are licensed and taxed and advertised that are specifically designed to inhibit the users ability to control themselves. Apart from alcohol of course but hey.

We're always told, (or we tell ourselves) that giving up smoking is hard. Of course, the tobacco companies would love you to believe this! Henry Ford said "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right". So tell yourself that you're going to find it easy.

Resolutions take determination, tenacity, strength and commitment. Too often we feel bad about ourselves or ashamed if we don't make it or delay a resolution. Whereas there is another way of looking at it.

I have smoked for over five years ever since I started when I was in my teens working on Emmerdale. I have been trying to stop smoking for a while now - to help develop my singing career along with my acting - so Stoptober seemed the perfect opportunity to really try and quit for good.

Health scares can be good for the health if you can learn from them. I am addicted quite seriously to cigarettes, but I don't smoke anymore. There are times when I miss them (when I have a cup of coffee or I'm waiting for a train, blah blah, yawn etc.) but I know myself far too well. I can't go there. Post- DVT, us smokers put ourselves at the greater risk of a recurring blood clot. It's a non-runner.